Evaluation of antioxidant, antimicrobial activities, and phytochemical screening in Mimosa pudica flower extracts

Abstract

This study investigates the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial properties of Mimosa pudica flower extracts using various solvents, including petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, acetone, chloroform, methanol, ethanol, and distilled water. The primary aim was to assess the influence of different solvents on the extraction efficiency of bioactive compounds and their potential applications. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of carbohydrates, steroids, proteins, amino acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins, coumarins, and phenols in varying degrees across the extracts. Ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts exhibited the highest phenolic and flavonoid content, with notable antioxidant activity, as indicated by high percentage inhibition in DPPH and ABTS assays and substantial reducing power in the FRAP assay. The antimicrobial evaluation, conducted using the agar well diffusion method, demonstrated significant inhibitory effects of ethyl acetate extract against various bacterial strains, including E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. marcescens, B. subtilis, S. aureus, and S. pyogenes. Acetone, methanol, and ethanol extracts also showed antimicrobial activity, though with a narrower range of efficacy. The study concludes that M. pudica flowers possess considerable antioxidant and antimicrobial potential, with solvent choice significantly impacting the extraction and efficacy of bioactive compounds. These findings suggest that M. pudica could be a valuable source of natural antioxidants and antimicrobial agents, warranting further research to isolate and characterize the specific compounds responsible for these activities.